This Little Town
by pinkbeetles
Summary: A picture of two people's lives in a little town. One-shot.


**hey there peeps!**

 **i'm here with a new story…**

 **so please read it and tell me how you felt about it?**

 **disclaimer: all characters belong to Rick Riordan.**

 _1._

He sees her in the playground.

It's Percy's first day at school, and every advice his mother had given him about making friends has washed clean out of his head.

The other kids look like aliens, with their large eyes and loud wails. He takes it that it's a necessary procedure to scream and cry for your mother when you step into school, so he starts crying as well.

A teacher leads him away, but he can't really hear what she's saying in the middle of all the noise. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his mother leaving.

He starts panicking. She's not really leaving, is she?

Surprise, kiddo. She does.

The teacher tells him that it's just an hour and he'll be with momma again, and she's sure he'll make a lot of friends. That's just what Mom said.

What the hell are friends?

He doesn't really take notice of what's happening, until a bell rings and a teacher ushers them out into the playground.

He hasn't made any friends yet.

Like a lost bear cub, he lumbers around the ground until he comes across a swing set. The problem is, someone's already sitting on it.

The alien has short yellow hair. Its eyes are like miniature thunderstorms.

Its hair is nice. He decides that he likes its eyes too, even they are a bit frightening.

"Hallo." He says.

The alien looks at him but does not reply.

"Are you a boy or girl?"

The alien looks annoyed. "Girl."

Oh.

He stares at her.

She stares back.

"Wanna bwecome phends?" he asks.

"It's called friends. F-R-I-E-N-D-S." she pronounces,

Gods. He doesn't even know his alphabet properly yet.

"Why not?" she says.

He smiles.

And just like that-

they become friends.

 _2._

He rings the bell. Mr Chase opens the door. He looks tired. Dark shadows hang underneath his eyes.

"Looking for Annabeth? She's in her room."

He smiles and races up the stairs.

Annabeth lies on the floor facing the ceiling. Comics and manga lie scattered around her. Drafts and sketches of buildings are falling from the walls. Some of them are ripped.

"Hey there, Seaweed Brain."

He goes and sits next to her.

"I got your text." He says quietly.

 _My parents are getting a divorce._

As normally, as though they were going out for dinner.

"Mom walked out about an hour ago." Annabeth says quite normally, even cheerily.

"Want to go somewhere?"

He'd expected her to refuse, but she nodded, jumped up and began dusting her jeans.

They walked together in silence.

This little, quaint town where they'd grown up. By leaving her daughter and husband's life, Athena was no longer a part here.

She had never really fit here.

"Let's go to the bowling alley." Percy suggests.

There's no awkwardness between them. In the silence, they can understand each other's thoughts perfectly.

Percy and Annabeth are brilliant at bowling.

He imagines his stepfather, his abuse, his bruises, in the ball and strikes.

She imagines her anxiety, her mother, her broken relationships with her family in the ball and strikes.

The ball disappears but the wounds come back.

They keep bowling until the guy at the store tells them it's time to leave.

Percy senses that she doesn't want to return home, so he suggests that they have dinner at a café.

They don't talk much, but this helps her more than it would if he'd tried to offer her sympathies.

The sun drops. The sky is a sphere filled with blinking lights.

"Ten years." Annabeth says quietly.

They've been friends for ten years. Their other friends messed with fashion and colours and changed. But they didn't.

Percy's eyes are the same beautiful green. His smile is the same crooked smile.

Annabeth's hair is short and clipped around her ears and a fringe falls on her forehead and eyes. Her lips are bleeding and bandaged.

"I guess I'm actually happy." She says.

Percy stares at her.

"I wanted her to stay. So bad. But, whenever she stayed at home there were fights."

"She knew Dad and I loved it here, and I guess that's why she hated it so much. She hated the peace here, she hated the quiet people. But I think she was actually jealous that this was the one place she couldn't change."

Her eyes are blank. Her voice is expressionless.

"She was the part that didn't fit in our home. Now the picture is perfect."

A sarcastic smile tugged at her lips.

"Thanks for everything. I should be heading home now."

He watched her jacket blowing in the wind as she left. He had been her best friend for ten years, but…

how much of her did he really know?

 _3._

"Jackson! Trying to get rid of us?"

"That would be impossible."

Percy, Jason, and Piper were waiting at the airport for Annabeth, who was coming from Massachusetts.

"Flight A203 coming in."

The blonde, tall girl runs towards them, grinning broadly. Jason and Piper rush towards her, laughing and cheering.

Percy grinned at her, when she managed to break away. "Thought I'd give you some space."

"Loser." She laughs. "You're carrying my bags."

They bundle up into Sally's mini. It's a tight fit, but rather comfortable. Annabeth squeezes up in front with Percy.

"So much happened since you left, Annie… Sally published a book, Leo failed in history (yet again) … and Aquaman here got himself a girlfriend!"

"What?" Annabeth splutters. "You never told me?"

Percy blushed. "We just got together last week."

"Aw, he's blushing! Who is it?"

"Rachel." He mumbled.

Annabeth doesn't say anything but looks at him with a sly look in her eyes.

"Shut up." He growls.

She laughs.

It's good to hear it again. Even though he loves Rachel's laugh, no one laughs better than Annabeth.

They reach Sally's house. Rachel is already there. She leaps on him the moment he reaches. Through the tangles of red hair, he can spot Annabeth smirking.

"You must be Rachel." She says.

"Hey." Rachel untangles herself from Percy. "Annabelle, right?"

Annabeth's smile falters. "Annabeth."

"Oh, sorry." Rachel laughs. "I've heard so much about you. You're the topper who got into MIT, aren't you?"

"Well…" she blushes.

They troop into the kitchen, talking.

After lunch, Piper, Jason, and Rachel leave. Percy and Annabeth trudge up to his room.

They push away the bedding and lie down on the cool floor.

They talk about the big things and the little things and the happy times and the bad times and everything.

Percy feels self-conscious. He doesn't know why.

Noontime rolls into evening and slips into night-time.

Annabeth picks up her bags and prepares to leave.

"Thanks for everything, Ms Jackson." She hugs Sally.

"Anytime, dear."

The next day, Percy and Annabeth go to all the cafes and restaurants and bowling alleys and eat and play. They binge watch _Orange is the New Black_ and eat ice cream. They watch _A Silent Voice_ and cry and eat some more ice cream. They pull out the old photographs and point and smile. They bring out their school report cards and tease each other.

It's perfect.

Until Percy brings up the topic of a party.

"Rachel is hosting it. Her parents are out of town, so…" he grins.

To his surprise, Annabeth doesn't seem exited.

"A party? What for?"

"Just like that..." he shrugs. "She's been hosting a lot of parties and they're really fun. I thought you'd maybe like it. You want to come?"

She hesitates. "If I'm free."

She does come.

The lights are dimmed, people are dancing, singing, swinging bottles of soda. Percy's eyes scan the area for Annabeth. She's standing in a corner, a can of Coke in hand, eyeing the area warily.

"Wanna dance?" he grins.

"Not in the mood." She says, apologetically.

He nods and veers off to the dance floor. Rachel appears, throws her arms around him and dances. A guilty part of him wishes it was Annabeth.

He vaguely hears the speaker shouting, " _Mamma Mia..."_

The dance ends and he moves over to the kitchen. Leo's spicing the lemonade with vodka.

"Hey there, Aquaman." He says. "Annabeth left."

"Why?" The blood rushes to Percy's ears. He shrugs it off as the heat of dancing.

"She said she had cramps."

Suddenly, the party doesn't feel so good.

"Hey, Rachel." He calls out. "I'm going home."

"Why?"

"Need to do something for mom." He lies.

"Kay. Bye."

The wind whips his hair as he steps out. His throat stings.

The next day he calls Annabeth again and invites her for another party. She can't refuse.

"I know you're free, so don't lie." He grins.

But she runs out of that one too. Supposedly she got a call.

His heart feels heavy as he walks out of that party. He walks up to her house, but the windows are drawn and it's dark inside.

This happens two more times. He knows he has no right to force her to come to the parties, but a tiny, _very guilty_ part of him wants to hold her and dance, instead of Rachel.

His calendar gives him an idea.

"Hey there, wise girl. It's Rachel's birthday this Friday, and we're all meeting up at her house, and I want you to come. You haven't even got to know her properly – and um, this is a good chance. Please say you'll come."

His voice drops, a bit sadder, more hopeful. "Please, Annabeth."

 _4._

Jason and Piper are dancing. Leo's flirting with a pretty girl – Percy thinks her name is Calypso, Will and Nico are making out shamelessly in a corner, Frank and Hazel are with Rachel, Grover and Thalia are arguing-

And _Annabeth's_ here.

He's not letting her run out of this one.

The cake comes, Rachel blows out the candles but sneezes directly after; fortunately, Leo claps a tissue over her nose. They cheer and smear cake on each other's faces.

"Soda, wise girl?" Percy asks, grinning.

"No, but thanks."

Okay.

"Pizza?"

"Sorry, but I'm full."

 _Okay._

"Wanna dance?"

"Sorry, not in the mood."

…

He pulls Annabeth into a corner. "Gods, Annabeth." He says with gritted teeth. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just sick of you being so antisocial. You run out of every party, push out of every game – why can't you just try to be happy for _once_ , for God's sake?"

"Why does that affect you?" she shouts.

 _Why does that affect him?_

"You're being selfish, you know that?" He ignores her question, because he doesn't want to think about the answer. "It's Rachel's birthday, and you just sit here with a depressed face, sulking-"

They're shouting. People are starting to stare.

"Percy, please- not now."

"Then just end this fucking drama you've been putting up!"

"Stop shouting!"

Her voice cracks. She swallows, and storms out.

Percy glances at the empty can he's holding. Throwing it onto the floor, he stamps up to Rachel's room.

Five minutes later, he hears footsteps coming up to the room.

Rachel knocks and enters. He doesn't look up.

"Percy." She whispers. "Look at me. Please."

"I'm sorry for ruining your party." He says thickly. "I know I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, especially-"

"I'm breaking up with you." Rachel says.

He looks up.

"What?" he says, weakly.

"You're in love with Annabeth. It's clear to everyone except you."

"Rachel, I-" he starts to protest. She puts a finger on his lips.

"I'm not angry, or jealous. I just want you to be happy. And you're happiest with her."

He gets up.

"I-"

"You know it too, Percy. We weren't meant to be lovers. But you and Annie were supposed to be. Don't lose her."

It hits him all, like a crashing wave.

He's in love with her.

"Go." Rachel says.

He makes his way to the door.

"I'm just so sorry for spoiling your birthday."

"Don't be." She smiles. "This would be the happiest birthday of my life if I knew I somehow helped two people find love."

 _5._

His heart racing, Percy leaves.

He comes up to her house and rings the bell. The lights are switched on inside.

He rings the bell again. No response.

He tries the knob; the door's unlocked.

Feeling a little guilty, he steps inside.

"Annabeth?"

No response.

"Wise Girl? It's me, Percy. I-um, I just wanted to apologize-for, for whatever I said before."

No response.

He climbs up the staircase.

"Annabeth? Are you here?"

The door of her room's ajar. He pushes it open.

"Annie? What are you-"

His breath stops.

She's lying on the floor.

Pieces of broken glass around her.

Pills scattered all over.

 _6._

 **Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)**

 _From Wikipedia, the free dictionary_

 **NHL is a group of blood cancers that includes all type of lymphoma except for Hodgkin lymphoma. Symptoms include fever, night sweats, and tiredness.**

Tiredness.

Gods, he was so tired.

The doors opened, and Fredrick Chase came over. Sally stood up.

Percy looked at Annabeth's father closely. Never a man to show emotions, yet he looked as though he had suddenly aged twenty years.

"Ms Jackson, Percy, I can't express how grateful I am." He said.

"Please, it was nothing." Sally said. "How is Annabeth? Is it really-"

She fell silent.

No one needed to hear the next word. They all knew what it was.

 _Terminal cancer._

"She got diagnosed with it, when-when Athena and I divorced. She'd been taking the pills continuously, but the doctor said that she'd stopped taking them-perhaps mid-February."

Percy knew perfectly well why she'd stopped taking them. She'd wanted to live without the pills.

 _She'd never even told him._

"You should probably go home now." Mr Chase said. "It's pretty late."

"Please, Fredrick, do let me know if there's anything you need. Anything at all." Sally said.

He nodded.

Percy's phone rang. "Mom, you go down. I'll be with you in a minute."

It was Thalia.

"Is it true?" she half asked, half screamed.

He didn't reply.

"Gods, I-" her voice broke. Jason took over.

"Percy? Are you there?" he asked, very softly.

"Yes."

"Perce, I know it's been a shock, but just know this, that we're here, we're praying. Don't give up hope. Our Annie's a fighter. She'll pull through."

Percy says nothing. His heart's thudding against his chest.

"Don't give up hope, Percy. Not yet."

 _7._

The days are long and grey.

The townspeople set up a fund for paying Annabeth's medical expenses. Fredrick tried to dissuade them, but they put away his protests.

Athena never came to visit her daughter in hospital.

Annabeth's friends went to the hospital every day. They couldn't meet her, as she was still in the ICU, but they made the nurses keep their cards and gifts on her bedside table.

And as for Percy?

There was no expression on his face. Never.

Some days, he went to her room, lay on the floor and tried to hear Annabeth's steps around him. He pulled out her books and sketches and ran his fingers over the pages, trying to feel her touch.

Hoping she'd appear.

It was Sunday. The rain was pouring. The radio was playing in the kitchen.

" _When the days are cold_

 _And the cards all fold_

 _And the saints we see_

 _Are all made of gold."_

Rachel's words kept coming back to him.

" _You're in love with Annabeth."_

He didn't even try to deny it. He was in love. He was afraid of losing her. He wanted to pull back all the time he'd lost.

His phone rings.

"Percy?" it's his mom.

"Hey, mom."

"How you're feeling?"

"Fine." His voice was empty.

"I thought about something."

"About what?"

"Do you want to go to Montauk?"

"What?" Had he misheard her?

"You heard me right." She said, as though reading his thoughts. "You've been under so much sadness, and everyone – including Fredrick- thinks that going to Montauk will cheer you up – though it's up to you, of course."

"I-"

He thinks.

"I want to go."

By the time Sally reached home, Percy's already packed their bags. He carries them out into the porch where she's waiting.

Half an hour later, they're on the long, winding road to Montauk.

"We brought Annabeth here, when her parents divorced. Remember?"

Its evening, and the sky is a void of flaming colours. He remembers.

He remembers the sand dunes they made. He remembers their laughing cries as they ran away from the waves. He remembers lying on the hammock and listening to Harry Belafonte.

After they reach their pastel cottage, change and dry the bedsheets, Percy walks up to the sand. The waves leap and crash at his feet. Shells appear and fade with the foam.

He puts out his hand, but there's no Annabeth.

And suddenly, the pain is overwhelming-

It's strangling him and drowning him-

That he's probably _never_ going to see her again-

 _Wise Girl, can you hear me?_

The memories are flooding back, like a storm, and he can't hold the dam anymore-

The alien on the swings-

The blond enigma who's amazing at bowling-

 _Wise Girl, don't leave me. Don't leave me. Please._

Whom he's grown to love-

Without knowing-

 _Are you there, Annabeth? Don't leave me._

Percy falls on his knees.

A strangled cry escapes his lips.

Miles and miles away, in a dark and sterile room, a doctor in a grey coat is leaning over a report.

He looks up.

"I don't believe it." He whispers hoarsely.

Next to him, on a hospital bed, a blonde girl is sleeping. He clutches her wrist, the one that's not buttoned with a channel.

"My girl, you know just how lucky you are?"

She doesn't reply. A faint smile plays on her lips.

The doctor rushes outside, where Fredrick Chase is waiting. He starts to get up. The doctor clasps his hands.

"Mr Chase." He says, his voice choked with happiness. "Your daughter is saved."

 _8._

"Rise and shine! Wake up, Percy!"

Percy brushes the hair out of his eyes and stares groggily at his mother, who's in a state of tremendous excitement.

"What's wrong?" he says, his voice hazed with sleep. "Why are you packing? Aren't we staying another week?"

"Change of plans." Sally replies, as she pulls off the bedsheet and begins to vigorously dust it, before stuffing it into a suitcase.

"What plans?"

She looks at him, and her eyes are glowing happiness.

"You'll get to know once we reach."

He groans.

Five minutes later, they're on the road.

Sally turns on the radio and blasts out a few Shania Twain songs and begins singing along. Percy stares at his mother.

"Have you finally gone insane?"

"Oh, dear." She smiles, and he sees that she's actually crying out of happiness. "It's just – no, I want it to be a surprise."

"Mom, you're being creepy.

She shakes her head and smiles.

Two hours later, they reach the little town.

Percy rolls down the windows and puts his head outside, relieving the familiar scent of the apple trees, the sounds of the children playing, the smell of the bakery.

"Ms Jackson!" The librarian, Miss Hestia, calls out. "Did you hear?"

There are tears of happiness in her eyes as well.

"I did." Sally says. "In fact, we're heading over to their house. Come in?"

She accepts.

"Mom, what happened? Did someone win the lottery?"

In spite of herself, Sally laughs. "No darling, it's better."

They pull up over by the Chases house.

Percy's heartbeat quickens.

They ring the bell.

Piper leaps out and hugs him. "You came! Ohmygod, she'll be so happy – oh my god, I can't believe this – you won't believe it -"

Fredrick Chase comes out. There's a small smile on his lips, and he looks happier than he ever did in the five years that went by ever since Athena left. "How about you let Percy find out for himself, Piper?"

His heart's thudding. It can't be.

He rushes inside.

People rush towards him, clapping him on the back and whispering words in his ears that he can't hear –

There's Jason and Leo and Rachel and Frank and Hazel and Thalia and Grover and other people and –

His breath stops.

The room falls silent.

"Nice to see you again, loser." Annabeth smiles.

 _9._

There are more than seven billion people on this planet, fewer people in this little town, fewer people in this house filled with books.

All of them fade as he looks at Annabeth.

His eyes drink in every little detail.

Her blonde hair's grown slightly longer, her hands are like glass paintings, the veins are shades of blue and violet, her shoulders are full of freckles, her ears are clipped at the top, her lips are scratched and bandaged, and her eyes –

And her eyes –

are like miniature thunderstorms, the way he first saw them, and they're not just grey, they're blue and green and violet and pink and white and black and orange and every colour of this universe.

They're beautiful.

"You lived." His voice is cracked.

She laughs. "I'm pretty good at that."

And suddenly, whatever little control had been holding him back shatters and falls to the ground, and he rushes towards her.

She runs toward him at the same time, and they collide and sink to the floor, tangled in each other's arms.

People are watching. He doesn't care.

Annabeth's shivering. She smells like cotton and shampoo and lemons and slightly like the sterile smell of the hospital. It feels nice.

"I've missed you, Seaweed Brain." She whispers.

"Me too."

He looks at her- and leans in and kisses her.

For a second, her lips don't move and he's afraid that he's made a mistake, but then she kisses him back and her hands cup his cheeks and brings him closer to her.

It feels like paradise.

The room erupts in cheers.

Piper's sobbing about how she knew they would always get together and they look so freaking cute and Leo wolf – whistles and Rachel is inserting a music CD into her laptop and people are screaming and cheering and laughing.

"You wanna go out?"

She nods.

Holding hands, they escape the house which has changed into something like a party.

Walking together, in this little town, without pain or sorrow, feels so new for Percy. It's like coming back to a paradise he's forgotten.

"My feelings for you just did a 90˚." Annabeth says.

"What?"

"Like, they changed from best friend to boyfriend."

He laughs. "That's a terrible take on romance, love." He says pulling her closer. "Mixing it with maths."

"Like you're any better." She snorts. He's missed her sarcasm.

"I have a dream, Wise Girl." He says, looking in her eyes. "You know what exists in that dream?"

"Blue food?"

"Shut up. Don't ruin the feeling. In the dream I see… well, blue food, a beautiful house, books and an Xbox, and… you and me."

She stares at him.

He stares at her.

(He's vaguely reminded of the staring competition they had on the swing set.)

Unfortunately, she spoils his dreamy mood by laughing. "I think that's the worst take on romance yet."

"Whatever."

And as they kiss, he thinks that perhaps this could be start something new.

It does. And it turns out to be beautiful.

 _10._

Sundays are just for them.

They wake up late, entangled in each other's arms, and spend a good half hour kissing and teasing and cuddling.

He gets up and shaves.

She gets up and makes the bed.

He makes breakfast as she prepares the table. It doesn't matter anyway, for they end up eating on the couch anyways.

They bring in flowers from the little but a beautiful garden that they keep. The kitchen is full of them. Annabeth's hair smells like them.

As they clean the dishes and tidy up the house, Percy turns on the radio. He hums along as he washes the dishes.

They go out, to the cinema or the parks or the theatre. Most of the times they just wander around the little town.

It hasn't changed a bit.

They hold hands at a café as they order lunch and watch children pluck apples from the tree across the street.

They reach home.

Annabeth paints. Percy does his best to irritate her.

His eyes are a million shades of green and blue. Her shoulders have a constellation of red and white freckles on them.

They laugh and kiss and tease and kiss some more and fall asleep on the bedsheets that smell like lavender.

She's got a hundred calls and meetings to attend tomorrow, but she doesn't care. He's got a hundred samples waiting for him at the lab tomorrow, but he doesn't care.

Today is just for them.

Night falls and the stars rise before they know.

They order a pizza as they get the couch ready for a movie. They pull up the bedsheets from their bedroom and throw it on the couch. Bring along cans of soda and packets of crisps.

They watch _City Lights_ and _When in Rome_ and _Titanic._ He'll never admit it, but she's sure he saw him crying while watch _Titanic._

By this time, the pizza's finished, empty cans of soda roll on the floor, and the bedsheets dangle from the couch. They should pick it up, but that's a task for tomorrow.

They brush and shower and troop into bed. A mist hovers in the air.

They pull up the bedsheets, hold each other closer. She presses her cheek on his chest and listens to his heartbeat. He tangles his fingers through her hair and kisses her forehead.

The scars fade and the wounds of the past stop hurting.

Mumbling sweet nothings they fall asleep.

Above them, the wind rustles the leaves of the apple trees and the waters of the lakes glitter and dance and the stars shine like lanterns.

Its perfect.

 _This little town where we grew up_

 _This little town where we first hurt_

 _This little town where fell our blood_

 _This little town where we found love_

FIN.

 **and that's the end!**

 **this took me like forever to write, cause it was way longer than my previous story. i hope you liked it!**

 **btw, the little poem was made by me. honestly I had no idea what to put in for the third line and 'blood' kind of rhymed with other ending words and so i tried to make it poetic and shit.**

 **so anyways, please review! i appreciate constructive criticism.**

 **peace out!**

 **mohor**


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